Mini baked Alaska
- Vegetarian
- Energy Kcal 570
- Carbohydrates g 109.7
- of which sugars g 101.1
- Protein g 12.7
- Fats g 9
- of which saturated fat g 4.43
- Fiber g 3.4
- Cholesterol mg 135
- Sodium mg 444
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Prep time: 60 min
- Cook time: 35 min
- Serving: 5
- Cost: Average
- Note plus 4 hours of setting in the refrigerator
PRESENTATION
Looking for a dessert that'll wow everyone? Mini baked Alaska is really where it's at. This classic American dessert popped up in New York way back in the late 1800s, right when Alaska joined the United States. It's like a fun mash-up of warm and cold: you get a scoop of ice cream smack in the middle, sitting on a soft cocoa biscuit base, all wrapped up in fluffy golden meringue. Really good stuff. And the best part? Each one's personal-sized, so you get your own mini showstopper—pretty fun, right?
So here's the thing: each bite is a mix of chilled ice cream, slightly crunchy meringue from the quick bake, and a soft, cake-like bottom. A mini baked Alaska like this offers a burst of textures and flavors. It always feels a bit fancy—even though it’s pretty simple to whip up.
These individual baked Alaska treats can turn any regular evening into something special, for sure. And listen, fresh out of the oven, the crispy meringue on top hides the still-frozen ice cream inside. Slice into one and watch faces light up. You get moist cake, sweet ice cream, and toasty meringue coming together perfectly. No question. Plus, this is an easy baked Alaska recipe if you’re looking to impress without going overboard on fancy ingredients.
Compared to larger versions or baked Alaska cupcakes, these mini ones are way way easier to serve. They're just right for dinner parties or family gatherings. Thing is, they keep that old-school charm but make it fresh and fun, giving everyone their own little treat to enjoy. Whether you call it a personal baked Alaska or a small baked Alaska, it's all about the balance between warm and cold. So, next time you’re planning a get-together, consider adding mini baked Alaska to your menu. It's a unique and memorable treat!
INGREDIENTS
- Ingredients for the Sponge Cake (for 5 servings)
- Sugar 0.6 cup (120 g)
- Type 00 flour 0.4 cup (50 g)
- Unsweetened cocoa powder 8 tbsp (40 g)
- Honey 0.7 tbsp (15 g)
- Eggs 3 - medium
- Vanilla bean 1 - the seeds
- Water 1 spoonful
- for the Ice Cream
- Whole milk 1.1 cups (250 ml)
- Strawberries 1 ¾ cup (250 g) - ripe
- Sugar ⅓ cup (75 g)
- Fresh liquid cream 3 ½ tbsp (50 ml)
- Egg whites 1
- for the Italian Meringue
- Sugar 1 ¼ cup (250 g)
- Egg whites ½ cup (125 ml) - at room temperature
- Water ¼ cup (50 ml)
- Fine salt 1 pinch
How to prepare Mini baked Alaska
To make the mini baked Alaska, start by preparing the strawberry ice cream following the recipe found Strawberry Ice Cream. Wash the strawberries and put them in the mixer 1. Blend them until you get a smooth pulp. Then strain the pulp with a sieve and set it aside 2. Prepare the cream: pour the milk into a saucepan, add the sugar 3, and heat over low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
In a separate bowl, pour the fresh liquid cream, add the egg whites 4, and mix with a whisk. When the sugar has dissolved, add the cream and egg whites mixture 5 and bring everything to a temperature of 181°F to pasteurize the milk and egg whites. Once the temperature is reached, remove the saucepan from the heat, transfer the mixture to a bowl, and cool it quickly: to do this, you can place the bowl in a large container filled with ice and stir continuously. When the mixture is well chilled, incorporate the strawberry pulp 6
Transfer the mixture into the ice cream maker 7, turn it on, and let it run until the mixture reaches a creamy yet firm consistency 8, it will take at least 30-35 minutes. Once ready, transfer it into dome-shaped single-serving molds with a diameter of 3 inches 9.
Level the surface with a spatula and once done 10, let it firm up in the freezer for at least 4 hours. Now focus on the cocoa sponge cake; to make it best, consult the Cocoa biscuit dough recipe. Separate the yolks from the whites, place the yolks in a stand mixer equipped with a whisk, add half the sugar, the honey, water, vanilla extract 11, or vanilla bean seeds, and beat the yolks for at least 10 minutes until they are light and frothy 12.
Also whip the egg whites to soft peaks (so that no lumps form when you combine them with other ingredients) along with the remaining sugar, then combine the two mixtures with a spatula without deflating them, stirring from the bottom up 13. Gently add the sifted flour together with the cocoa powder and mix the batter 14. Spread the batter on a buttered 8x12 inch baking sheet lined with parchment paper, level it with a flat and smooth spatula until it reaches a thickness of 0.4 inches 15. Bake in a preheated static oven at 428°F for 6-7 minutes (or in a fan oven at 392°F for 4-5 minutes).
Remove the sponge cake from the oven, immediately remove it from the pan, placing it with all the parchment paper on a surface. Immediately dust the surface of the sponge cake with granulated sugar and seal it immediately with cling film 16 so that it doesn't become too brittle once cold. When the sponge cake is cool 17, use a cookie cutter with a diameter of 3 inches to cut out circles of cake that will form the base of the dessert, place them on a tray 18
take the ice cream out of the freezer, remove the domes from the mold 19, and place them on the cookies 20. Put the domes back in the freezer and focus on the Italian meringue by following the procedure found Italian Meringue: in a small pot, pour the sugar, add the water, and over low heat stir to dissolve the sugar; when the syrup forms, immerse the appropriate thermometer, which will indicate the temperature to reach, i.e., 248°F. When the syrup reaches 239°F 21, start whipping the egg whites at medium speed.
When the syrup has reached the above temperature, pour it in a thin stream into the egg whites 22, continuing to whip with the beaters not only until the syrup is used up but also until the meringue has completely cooled. The obtained meringue should be very dense, smooth, and shiny 23. Transfer the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a star tip 24,
remove the desserts from the freezer and garnish the entire surface with meringue dollops (25-26). Finally, bake the mini baked Alaska at maximum power for just 2 minutes, just enough to brown the surface 27, and serve these delights immediately!